Gujarat: 10 arrested for playing PUBG game on mobile phones

The Gujarat Police had on March 6 issued a notification banning PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) and 'Momo Challenge' in Rajkot saying that as these games were leading to violent behaviour among children and youth.

AHMEDABAD: Ten people were arrested in the last two days for allegedly playing the PUBG game on their mobile phones in Gujarat's Rajkot despite the police banning it, PTI reported on Thursday. Out of the tem arrested, six were college students. This comes days after the police banned the online games PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) and 'Momo Challenge' in the city by issuing a notification on March 6. Police stations were asked to implement the ban and arrest those who were still playing these games. "On Tuesday, our teams arrested six college students playing PUBG game on their mobile phones on Kalavad Road and in Jagannath Chowk area," PTI quoted Rajkot taluka police inspector V S Vanzara as saying. The same day, Gandhigram police arrested a 25-year-old private firm employee for playing the game on his phone, a release from the police control room said. On Wednesday, three people were arrested by Rajkot police's special operations group while playing the game on their phones in different areas of the city, another official release said. All the 10 were booked under Indian Penal Code Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and later granted bail at the police stations concerned, the police said. As per the police commissioner's notification, the ban was necessary as these games were leading to violent behaviour among children and youth. The games were adversely affecting the studies and the overall behaviour, conduct and language of children, the notification said. The Gujarat government had also urged the Centre in January to initiate proceedings to ban online game PUBG nationally, pointing out that it adversely affected child psyche and their studies. (With inputs from PTI)